College student Melissa Jefferson may have stunned with an upset win in Friday’s women’s 100m final, but she says ready for her next big challenge – competing against Jamaica’s dynamic duo next month.
She will be taking on twice double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah and reigning world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the world championships, which will be held on the same track where Jefferson just won the US title.
“I have not (run against them) and I’m glad I get the opportunity to,” the relatively unknown Jefferson said after blazing a wind-assisted 10.69 seconds to beat favorite Aleia Hobbs in a race missing top U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson.
Richardson was eliminated in Thursday’s preliminaries.
“I’m ready for any challenge and anything that may come my way,” Jefferson said.
She has come a long way in a matter of weeks. The Coastal Carolina University sophomore was a mere eighth in the NCAA women’s 100 metres final, running 11.24 seconds earlier this month.
That’s a far cry from Thompson-Herah’s personal best of 10.54 in Eugene last year and the 10.60 Fraser-Pryce clocked in 2021. Fraser-Pryce leads the world this year with a 10.67.
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SOURCE: The Independent, Gene Cherry
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